Guitar string support

ABSTRACT

A guitar string support insert located between the saddle block of a guitar tremolo and each string passing over the saddle block which is held thereto by a string retaining screw operated device in order to reduce string breakage.

The present invention relates to guitars and particularly to an insertfor locating between the saddle block of a guitar tremolo and eachstring passing over the saddle block and held thereto by a stringretaining screw operated vice.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of a tremolo device, of which there are many varieties, isto allow a guitarists to alter an existing string note by an increase ordecrease of string tension. Tremolo devices typically include a saddleblock and a vice grip, the guitar strings being led over the saddleblock and into the vice grip which is then tightened on the saddle blockto anchor the strings in position.

A recurring problem with tremolo devices of this construction is stringbreakage.

While it will never be possible totally to prevent guitar stringsbreaking for one reason or another, it is far too prevalent with tremolodevices to be acceptable although the professional guitarist tends toput up with the problem because of the advantages, in terms of thevariety of sounds and effects, the tremolo device provides.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to obviate the difficulties ofthe prior art and to reduce the breakage frequency of guitar strings inthe area of engagement with guitar tremolo devices.

According to the invention there is provided a guitar string supportinsert for the string support saddle block of a guitar tremolo equippedwith a saddle block and a vice grip for retaining the guitar strings tothe saddle block in a string-receiving groove therein and wherein theinsert is formed of a malleable metallic material softer than themetallic material, the saddle block and guitar strings and having afront section provided with an axially formed groove for lodging in thestring receiving groove of the saddle block, and a rear section forinsertion between the surface of the saddle block and the guitar stringheld in the vice grip.

Preferably the insert is made of brass.

The rear section is preferably of larger transverse width than the frontsection.

The junction between the front and rear sections of the insert may beprovided with an indentation to enable the front and rear sections to befolded around the saddle block.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomesapparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of theinvention taken with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an insert for a guitar tremolo according to oneembodiment of the invention:

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view through a guitar tremolo device showingthe insert of FIG. 1 in an operative position; and

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the guitar tremolo insert according to anotherembodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The guitar tremolo insert shown in FIG. 1 is made from annealed brassand has a front flat section 1 having an axial radiused string locatinggroove 1' and a rear flat section 2 extending from the front section 1,of wider transverse width.

Typically the thickness of the brass insert is 0.3 mm, the axial lengthof the front section 1 is 6.5 mm and its width 2 mm, with the axiallength of the rear section 2 being 6 mm and a transverse width of 3.5mm.

These dimensions are suitable for using the insert with a Floyd-Rosetype tremolo system incorporating a saddle block 3 of the type shown inFIG. 2 having an upper surface formed of two flat surface sections 4 and4' rising to a peak P.

A vertical flat side surface 5 of the saddle block extends to meet theflat surface section 4'.

A vice grip for retaining the guitar strings to the saddle block 3 isprovided between the vertical surface 5 of the saddle block and thesurface 7' of a slidable block 7 operated by a vice screw 8.

The strings of the guitar, a representative string S being shown in FIG.2, are held in the vice grip along the tremolo, and normally extend fromthe grip over the surface section 4' of the saddle block 3 in alongitudinally extending radiused groove (not shown) formed therein.

As mentioned earlier in this disclosure, with this type of arrangement,breakage of guitar strings is far too prevalent since the strings andsaddle block of the tremolo are both made of a hard metal such as steelcausing rapid weakening of the strings at the contact area of thestrings with the saddle block at the peak P during movement of thetremolo.

In addition to string breakage, consequent damage to the saddle blockcan occur, especially when the tremolo arm is being used. The positionis not helped by the fact that the contact between the guitar stringsand the saddle block over the extent of the string receiving groovetherein is minimal.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 the insert of the invention is positionedbetween each guitar string and the saddle block 3 over the whole extentof the passage of the strings around the surface section 4' and 5 of thesaddle block 3, with the rear section 2 of the insert of widertransverse with, being located in the vice grip between the surface 7'of block 7 and surface 5 of the saddle block 3, and the front section 1lying over the surface 4' of the saddle block 3 with the radiused groove1' received in the radiused groove in the saddle block 1.

To achieve maximum tone quality it is important that the end of thefront section 1 of the insert stops at the peak P to give a sharp edgedclearance between that end and the flat surface section 4 falling awayfrom the peak P.

The malleability of the insert allows the device to be bent around thesaddle block 3 as shown to configure to it, and so it may be sold in anunbent state if desired.

Since the insert is formed of softer material than both the guitarstrings, being preferably brass in this embodiment, the strings form animpression in the softer material improving contact between the stringsand the saddle block of the tremolo.

As the guitar strings form their impression in the softer brass materialof the inserts, the latter become work hardened so that the impressiondoes not expand into a cut.

It has been found that with the use of brass inserts according to theinvention, the likelihood of guitar string breakage is reduced by up toat least ten times less than the frequency of breaking with the presentarrangement.

Also since the contact between the strings and the saddle block of thetremolo is increased, improved sustained and richer tones may beproduced.

In addition smoother string bending and better string grip withoutdamaging the vice block 7 of the tremolo system is achieved.

A modified form of the invention is shown in FIG. 3. In this embodimenta slight indentation 9 is formed across the junction between the frontand rear sections 1 and 2 of the insert to enable the insert to be morereadily folded about this junction for shaping around the saddle block3.

The brass insert as described may be annealed after manufacture sincethe end product then becomes easier to install.

What is claimed is;
 1. A guitar string support insert for the stringsupport saddle block of a guitar tremolo equipped with a saddle blockand a vice grip for retaining the guitar strings to the saddle block ina string-receiving groove therein and wherein the insert is formed of amalleable metallic material softer than the metallic material of thesaddle block and guitar strings and having a front section provided withan axially formed groove for lodging in the string receiving groove ofthe saddle block, and a rear section for insertion between the surfaceof the saddle block and the guitar string held in the vice grip.
 2. Aninsert as claimed in claim 1 wherein the rear section is of largertransverse width than the front section.
 3. An insert as claimed inclaim 1 wherein a junction is formed between the front and rear sectionsof the insert, and an indentation is formed at the said junction toenable the front and rear sections to be folded around the saddle block.4. An insert as claimed in claim 1 wherein said malleable material isbrass.